This month I am going to focus on stress management.You’d think I’d already have a grip on this concept since I wrote about how we should stop glorifying busy a year ago.

Anyway, finals are approaching, coming up in April. That means projects, papers, and all the stress that comes along with them. So in preparation for that onslaught, I thought I would try to manage and hopefully reduce my stress.

The tasks I have set myself are:

Say no. Too often I overburden myself because I am a people-pleaser. So I want to make a conscientious effort to really consider what is worth my time and what is too much to take on, on top of my current responsibilities (which are plenty).

Leisure time. I want to regulate my stress by balancing work and leisure. While that is only even possible to a certain extent, I think that lying down in bed with my equivalent of a glass of wine and a heating pad whilst reading for class rather than at my desk are a step in the right direction. Hopefully by making little attempts at comfort, I can turn homework time into leisure time. That is, after all, why I chose my major.

Mindfulness. I want to try practicing mindfulness so that A) I can relax my mind by taking thinking breaks and B) I can keep perspective on my problems so that they do not overwhelm me.

These are, again, less quantifiable goals than months previous, but I hope to prevail all the same.

I’ll report on how keeping this month’s resolutions goes when I start the next round in April, so stay tuned!